Mary Berry has shared her "best" recipe for roast potatoes, which home cooks claim "works every time." The easy recipe is designed to deliver perfectly crisp roasties with a fluffy centre, ideal for Sunday roasts and warming dinners during the autumn and winter months.
The recipe, published by Happy Foodie from Mary's Simple Comforts book, has been branded "tasty and full of flavour" by those who have tried it. It uses a simple method of par-boiling the potatoes, roughing them up, and coating them in semolina for extra crunch.
The recipe and method
Mary's recipe description states: "For the ultimate roast potato to serve at your Sunday roast, look no further than Mary Berry's failsafe recipe. It delivers perfectly crisp roasties with a fluffy centre every time."
Happy Foodie noted: "A roast potato should be ultra-crispy and golden on the outside with a fluffy light middle. Par-boiling the potatoes ahead and roughing them up before roasting gives a lovely crispy outside, with the semolina adding extra crunch. If you don't have any goose fat, use extra sunflower oil."
Home cook reviews
The recipe has garnered numerous glowing reviews. One person said: "Perfect crisp roast potatoes. Works every time!! Thank you Mary!" Another commented: "I simply love using this recipe. It is easy to follow, and it never fails to impress dinner guests. The end result is worth it. They are tasty and full of flavour."
A third person noted: "Genius! The semolina addition was fabulous!" A fourth person wrote: "Fantastic, now I have to do all the roast potatoes for my family, whether it's my turn or not!!"
Ingredients and preparation
The recipe serves six people. Ingredients include 1kg potatoes (such as Maris Piper or King Edward), 50g semolina, three tablespoons of goose fat, three tablespoons of sunflower oil, and salt.
To prepare, heat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Place the potato chunks into a saucepan of cold, salted water and bring to the boil. Boil for approximately five minutes until the edges begin to soften. Drain thoroughly in a colander until completely dry, then return to the pan and shake vigorously to roughen the edges. Scatter over the semolina and shake once more until evenly coated.
Cooking and serving
Place a roasting tin in the oven to heat until piping hot. Add the goose fat and oil, then heat for five minutes until it begins to smoke. Add the potatoes and toss them in the fat until fully coated. Roast for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately while hot.
The potatoes can be prepared up to 12 hours in advance. When ready to serve, reheat in a hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes without adding any additional fat.
